Lock assembly



May 7, 1963 H. KRAUSE 3,088,765

LQCK ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. 1, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR. #Wiz/'f {4W/ff,

May 7, 1963 H. KRAUsE 3,088,765

LOCK ASSEMBLY Filed Sept. l, 1960 2 Sheets-Shes?I 2 Wwf/ggf.

United States Patent O 3,088,765 LOCK ASSEMBLY Herbert Krause, Chicago, Ill., assigner to Chicago Forging and Manufacturing Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 1, 1960, Ser. No. 53,414 9 Claims. (Cl. 292-11) This invention relates to a lock assembly for use as an automobile hood latch and in particular relates to refinements in such a structure for increasing the reliability thereof.

A primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a locking structure of the type described which prevents accidental catching of the latch member in a partially extended position.

Another purpose is to provide a guide plate for use on the plunger of a latch structure, which guide plate insures that the latch member will always be fully extended.

Another purpose is to provide a hood latch structure of the type described having a camming or sliding surface which insures complete extension of the latch member at all times.

Other purposes will appear in the ensuing specification, drawings and claims.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the following drawings Iwherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side view showing the plunger of the present invention positioned above the latch plate,

FIGURE 2 is a side view of the plunger of FIGURE l from the opposite side, and

FIGURE 3 is an end view, with portions broken away for clarity, of the plunger of FIGURES 1 and 2.

This invention relates to a hood latch structure for use on automobiles or the like having a conventional keeper or plunger, and a latch plate into which the plunger is to be inserted. Preferably, the latch plate, such as indicated at in FIGURE 1, is mounted on the hood or body structure of the automobile and the keeper or plunger 12 is mounted on the hood closure. The placement of these members may be reversed however with satisfactory results. The latch plate 110 has an aperture or opening 14 to receive the plunger 12, with the edge of the opening opposite the safety hook being generally flat, as at 16, and the opposite edge of the aperture 14 bein-g somewhat curved, as at 18, for sliding contact with the latch member as hereinafter described.

The plunger 12 includes a latch control element 20 pivotally mounted, as at 22, adjacent the lower end of the plunger. The latch control element 2@ has a pin 24 which extends outwardly from the control element for pivotally mounting a latch member 26. The pin 24 is inserted in a slot or enlarged hole 28 in the latch member 26 so that the latch member may both pivotally and slidably move on the latch control element. The extent of slidable movement is slight, however, there is provision for sufiicient slidable movement such that the locking pin, hereinafter described, may be released. A washer or the like 30 is mounted on the pin 24 on top of the latch element and secures the latch" element to the control member. A spring 32 has one end mounted in a slot 34 in the pin 24 and has the opposite end biased against an abutment portion 36 of the latch element. The spring 32 biases the latch element on the control member so that the latch element is urged youtwardly from the plunger. A slot 38 is provided in the side wall of the plunger for movement of the latch element.

The latch element 26 may have an arcuate slot 40, the upper surface of which preferably has a serrated edge. A pin 44 is mounted on the control member and extends toward the latch element for locking engagement with the "ice serrated edge 42. The latch structure shown herein is adjustable in that the pin may be engaged by any one of the grooves formed by the serrations 42 and at any such position will lock the latch element.

A safety hook 46 is pivoted, at at 50, near the upper end of the plunger, and has a lower hook portion 48 which extends outwardly from the plunger. The safety hook is biased to the 'outwardly extended position by a spring 52, mounted at one end 54 to the plunger and mounted at the opposite end to a laterally extending portion 5 6 of the safety hook.

Mounted on the outside or opposite side of the plunger is an actuating arm 58 which includes a release portion or release member 60. Preferably the actuating arm and release member are pivoted on the plunger about the same point as the safety hook. The release member 60v has an abutment portion 62 which extends through an arcuate slot 64- in the plunger side wall. The abutment portion 62 is positioned to contact the upper end of the latch control member. Thus, the release member will prevent inward movement of the pivotal latch control member and hence will resist inward movement of the latch element caused by downward pressure on the upper surface of the latch element.

A guide plate or guide member 66 is pivotally mounted to the plunger at pivot point 50 and includes a flange-like surface 68 which forms a sliding or camming surface for the upper end of the latch control member. The guide member 66 pivots with the safety hook and the release member and when in the release position, where the safety hook is withdrawn into the plunger and the release member is out of the path of the latch control member, the sliding or camming surface 68 is slidably contacted by the upper end of the latch control member.

The plunger structure is completed by mounting holes 70 formed in projecting plate portions 72 on the upper end of the plunger.

The use, operation and function of the invent-ion are as follows:

Shown and described herein is an improvement in hood latch structures, of the type generally shown in co-pending application Serial No. 630,227, filed December 24, 1956, now Patent No. 2,955,859. In particular this invention relates to means for insuring full extension of the latch element or latch member at all times.

In operation, as the hood closure is moved towards the hood or body of the automobile, the safety hook 46 will strike the latch plate I10 and the bottom curved surface of the safety hook will cause the hook to move inward against the action of spring 52. Once the projecting portion 4S of fthe safety hook is down beyond the latch plate, the spring 52 will urge the safety hook outward so that it underlies the latch plate, hence holding the plunger within the plate. Continued downward movement of the plunger results 'in Contact between the lower surface of the latch element or latch member and the edge 18 of the latch plate. The latch element will be forced inward against the force of spring 32 so that the plunger may pass through the latch plate. The latch element will move outward onoe it is past the latch plate to firmly lock the plunger in the plate.

Once the plunger is completely received within the latch plate, any upward movement of the hood closure will result in downward pressure by curved surface 18 of the top of the latch element. Such downward pressure will force the pin 44 more firmly into its locking groove. In other words, it will be impossible for the latch element to rotate inwardly to the released position as the pin 44 firmly holds the latch plate in the extended position. As mentioned before, the pin 44 may seat in any one of the grooves formed by the serrations 3 42 and will still rmly lock the latch element in position. Such downward and inward pressure by the latch plate cannot move the pin 44 inwardly as the pin is mounted on the latch control member which in turn is prevented from inward movement by the abutment portion of the release member.

In order to release the safety hook and thelatch element, the handle 58 and the release member 60 forming a portion thereof are rotated about pivot point 56'. Rotation of the release element moves the abutment-portion 62. out of the path of the top of the control member such that `downward pressure on the top of the latch element will move this member and the ,controlv member inwardly. Rotation of the handle 5S also rotates the safety hook inwardly as the safety hook is mounted for pivotal movement with the Vhandle 58.

After the safety hook and latch element have cleared the latch plate the upper surface of the control element Will slide on the camming or sliding surface 68 of the guide member 6G as the control element and latch element return to the extended position of FIGURE l. In the above-mentioned co-pending application, there was no-such sliding surface or guide-member. It was possible for the upper end of the control member to catch on the abutmentrportion of the release member such that the latch element would be stopped before it reached its fully extended position. This resulted in improper locking ofthe hook closure and it was necessary to move the release handle up and down before the latch element would Ibe fully extended. The sliding or camming surface 68 prevents any catching or binding between the Yabutment portion of the release member and the control member. Preferably, the guide member- 66 is pivotally moved with the release member so that the angelike surface forming the sliding surface 68 will be out of :the path of the control member as it moves inwardly when thejplunger is pulled out of the latch plate.

Whereas the preferred form of the invention has been shown and described herein, it should be realized that there are many modications, substitutions and alterations thereto within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A latch structure including a latch plate having an aperture, a plunger positioned to enter said aperture, a latch'control member pivoted on said plunger, a latch member pivotally mounted on said control member and extending outwardly from said plunger, a spring urging said latch member to said outwardly extended position, said latch member being positioned to contact said latch plate as said plunger moves through said aperture, a release member pivotally mounted on said plunger, said release member having a portion positioned to block said latch control member when said latch member is in the extended position, and an outwardly extending ange-like surface on said plunger, said latch control member having a portion slideable on said surface during4 a portion of its travel on said plunger, said surface beingV adjacent and pivotal with said release member portion to prevent locking contact between the latch control member and said release member portion until the latch member is fully extended.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized by a plate pivoted on said plunger, said plate having a iiangelike portion along one edgewhich forms said surface.

3. A latch structure including a latch plate having an aperture, a plunger positioned to enter said aperture, a latch control member pivotally mounted on said plunger, a latch member pivotally mounted on said control member and extending outwardly :from said plunger, a spring urging said latch member to said outwardly extended position, said latch member being positioned to contact said latch plate as said plunger moves through said aperture, a release member pivotally mounted on said plunger, said release member having an abutment portion extending through said plunger and positioned to block said latch -control member when said latch mem-ber is in the extended position, a safety hook pivoted on said plunger and extending outwardly therefrom, a spring biasing said safety hook to said extended position, and an outwardly extending flange-like surface on said plunger, said latch control member being slideable on said surface, said surface being adjacent and ,pivotal with said release member abutment portion to prevent locking contact between the latch control member and said release member abutment portion until the latch member is fully extended.

4. The structure of claim 3 further characterized in that said safety hook and said release member are pivoted about the same point, a plate pivoted on ysaid plunger about said safety hook and release member pivot point, said plate being positioned between said safety hook and said release member and having a -flangelike portion along one edge which forms said surface.

5. For use in an automobile hood latch structure, a plunger-,a latch control member pivoted on said plunger, a latch member slideably and pivotally mounted on said control member, a spring mounted on said plunger and urging said latch member about its pivot point outwardly from said plunger, a release member pivoted on said plunger and having an abutment portion positioned to block said latch control member, a safety hook pivoted on said plunger about the same point as said release member, a spring urging said -safety hook outwardly from said plunger, land a plate Apivoted on said plunger and having a surface positioned to be in sliding contact with said latch control member as said latch control member pivots through parts of its excursion on said plunger, said surface -being adjacent said abutment port-ion and preventing locking contact between the latch control memmember and said release member abutment portion until the latch member is yfully extended.

6i. The structure of claim 5 further characterized in that said plate pivots with said release member and said surface is generally perpendicular to said abutment-portion.

7. For `usevin an automobile hood latch structure, a plunger, a latch control-member pivotally `mounted on said plunger, a latch element pivotally and slideably mounted on said control member, a spring-connected to said latch elementv and said control member and positioned lto urge said latch element about its pivot point outwardly from sa-id plunger, a release member pivoted on said plunger and havingan abutment portionpositioned to block said -control member when said control member is in one position, a guide member pivoted on said plunger for simultaneous movement with said release member, said guide member having a surface positioned for sliding contact Vwith said control member when said control member is not in said one position whereby Contact 'between said release memberabutment portion and said control member is precluded except when said control member isfin said one position.

8. A latch structure including a latch platehaving an aperture, a plunger positioned to enter saidaperture, a latch control member pivotally mounted on said plunger, a latch element pivotallyand slideably mounted on said control member, a spring connected to said latch element and said control member and biasing said latch element to a position outwardly of said plunger, said latch element being positioned to contact said latchplate as said plunger moves through said aperture, means for locking said latch element in latched position in response to movement of said plunger outwardly from said aperture including a slot in said latch element, a pin mounted on said control member and extending through said slot, said slot having a serrated edge positioned to engage said pin, a release member pivoted on said plunger and having an abutment portion extending through said plunger in position to-block said .control member, a safety hook pivoted on said plunger about said release member pivot point, a that said guide member is a plate mounted for pivotal spring urging said safety hook outwardly of said plunger, movement with said release member and safety hook and and a guide member pivoted on said plunger about said positioned between said release member and safety hook.

release member pivot point and having a surface extending laterally from said abutment portion and positioned 5 References Cited in the le of this patent for sliding Contact with said control member, said sur- UNITED STATES PATENTS face being adjacent said abutment portion to prevent said abutment portion until the latch member is fully extended. 10 2,797,116 laster June 25, 1957 9. The structure of claim 8 further characterized in 2,955,859 Krause et al Oct. l1, 1960 

1. A LATCH STRUCTURE INCLUDING A LATCH PLATE HAVING AN APERTURE, A PLUNGER POSITIONED TO ENTER SAID APERTURE, A LATCH CONTROL MEMBER PIVOTED ON SAID PLUNGER, A LATCH MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID CONTROL MEMBER AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID PLUNGER, A SPRING URGING SAID LATCH MEMBER TO SAID OUTWARDLY EXTENDED POSITION, SAID LATCH MEMBER BEING POSITIONED TO CONTACT SAID LATCH PLATE AS SAID PLUNGER MOVES THROUGH SAID APERTURE, A RELEASE MEMBER PIVOTALLY MOUNTED ON SAID PLUNGER, SAID RELEASE MEMBER HAVING A PORTION POSITIONED TO BLOCK SAID LATCH CONTROL MEMBER WHEN SAID LATCH MEMBER IS IN THE EXTENDED POSITION, AND AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE-LIKE SURFACE ON SAID PLUNGER, SAID LATCH CONTROL MEMBER HAVING A PORTION SLIDEABLE ON SAID SURFACE DURING A PORTION OF ITS TRAVEL ON SAID PLUNGER, SAID SURFACE BEING ADJACENT AND PIVOTAL WITH SAID RELEASE MEMBER PORTION TO PREVENT LOCKING CONTACT BETWEEN THE LATCH CONTROL MEMBER AND SAID RELEASE MEMBER PORTION UNTIL THE LATCH MEMBER IS FULLY EXTENDED. 